/aˈvere il proʃˈʃutto ˈsuʎʎi ˈɔkki/ lit. ‘to have ham over your eyes’
Italian idiom, informal. To miss something that is obvious to everyone else.
Draft Not yet checked by a native Italian speaker.
How do people use Avere il prosciutto sugli occhi
?
Informal and teasing, said about someone who can’t see what everyone else has noticed, very often a love interest or a partner’s cheating. It’s mostly used in the third person or as an exclamation: “ha proprio il prosciutto sugli occhi!”. The longer “avere gli occhi foderati di prosciutto” (eyes lined with ham) is the form English Wiktionary files it under.
Also said avere gli occhi foderati di prosciutto
Avere il prosciutto sugli occhi
in real sentences
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Mary non sa che Tom è innamorato di lei. Ha proprio il prosciutto sugli occhi!
Mary doesn’t know Tom is in love with her. She really can’t see what’s in front of her!
Tatoeba, sentence by dnnywld, CC BY 2.0 FR
Where does Avere il prosciutto sugli occhi
come from?
The picture is slices of ham laid over the eyes like a sleep mask, so the person can’t see what’s right there. English Wiktionary lists it as “avere gli occhi foderati di prosciutto” and compares it with “pull the wool over someone’s eyes”, the same blindfold idea from the other side. We found no record of when or where it started.
Mistakes learners make with Avere il prosciutto sugli occhi
Using it for someone who’s choosing to look away. The person with ham on their eyes honestly hasn’t noticed; for pretending not to see, Italian says “chiudere un occhio” or “fare finta di niente”.
Other Italian idioms like Avere il prosciutto sugli occhi
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